This invention relates to a recording and/or reproduction apparatus, a file management method and a providing medium, and more particularly to a file system to be used for a recording and/or reproduction apparatus (VDR: Video Disc Recorder) in which a disc type recording medium is used.
As a file system for recording data onto a disc type recording medium, the ISO/IEC13346, 1995, xe2x80x9cInformation technologyxe2x80x94Volume and file structure of write-once and rewritable media using non-sequential recording for information interchangexe2x80x9d is known. This file system is a general purpose file system for recording various data and is not intended to be used by an individual to record compressed digital AV (audio and video signals onto a disc in a home. Therefore, the system is not necessarily satisfactory to record compressed digital AV (audio and video) signals. Accordingly, a file system and a volume optimum to record AV signals are demanded.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a recording and/or reproduction apparatus, a file management method and a providing medium which can be applied to a file system with which an individual can record and reproduce AV signals onto and from a disc readily in a home.
In order to attain the object described above, according to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a recording and/or reproduction apparatus for recording and/or reproducing AV data onto and/or from a disc type recording medium, comprising first recording means for recording a file of AV data, and second recording means for recording management information for the file to at least two locations of a logical volume.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a file management method for a recording and/or reproduction apparatus for recording and/or reproducing AV data onto and/or from a disc type recording medium, comprising a first recording step of recording a file of AV data, and a second recording step of recording management information for the file to at least two locations of a logical volume.
According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a providing medium for providing a program which can be read by a computer for causing a recording and/or reproduction apparatus for recording and/or reproducing AV data onto and/or from a disc type recording medium to execute a first recording step of recording a file of AV data, and a second recording step of recording management information for the file to at least two locations of a logical volume.
In the recording and/or reproduction apparatus, the file management method and the providing medium, a file of AV data is recorded and management information is recorded to at least two locations of a logical volume. Consequently, an individual can record and/or reproduce compressed video and audio signals simply in a home.
According to a still further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a recording and/or reproduction apparatus, comprising unit recording means for recording units of information which can be recorded onto a disc type recording medium, setting means for setting lengths of the units of information to be recorded by the unit recording means, and identification information recording means for recording, in response to a file recorded on the disc type recording medium, identification information for identification of the length of the unit adopted when the file is recorded from among the units of the length set by the setting means.
According to a yet further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a file management method for a recording and/or reproduction apparatus for recording and/or reproducing information onto and/or from a disc type recording medium, comprising a unit recording step of recording units of information which can be recorded onto the disc type recording medium, a setting step of setting lengths of units of information to be recorded in the unit recording step, and an identification information recording step of recording, in response to a file recorded on the disc type recording medium, identification information for identification of the length of the unit adopted when the file is recorded from among the units of the length set by the setting means.
According to a yet further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a providing medium for providing a program which can be read by a computer for causing a recording and/or reproduction apparatus for recording and/or reproducing AV data onto and/or from a disc type recording medium to execute a unit recording step of recording units of information which can be recorded onto the disc type recording medium, a setting step of setting lengths of units of information to be recorded in the unit recording step, and an identification information recording step of recording, in response to a file recorded on the disc type recording medium, identification information for identification of the length of the unit adopted when the file is recorded from among the units of the length set by the setting means.
In the recording and/or reproduction apparatus, the file management method and the providing medium, units of recordable information are recorded onto a disc type recording medium and the lengths of the units of information to be recorded are set and then, in response to a file to be recorded onto the disc type recording medium, the length of a unit adopted when the file is recorded is identified from among the set units of the length. Consequently, an individual can record and/or reproduce compressed video and audio signals simply in a home.
The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like parts or elements denoted by like reference symbols.